Is your home safe from burglars? You probably thought so until you saw this video. Bump keys are things most of us have never heard of before. If you have heard of these before you may have had a hobby breaking into places, or you are probably a police officer. Believe it or not, this burglar tool has been proven to work for over 50 years. So much for feeling your home is secure when you leave. The Bump Key burglar tool could be made by a 3rd grader with a file, thanks to the simple directions made available by sites such as YouTube. The question now is how safe are you and your material possessions considering how easy it is to acquire and make the bump keys. Bumpkey.us sells keys as cheap as $3.50 while offering bigger packages. Everything the burglar ever wanted to enter your home. Are you scared? Maybe, we all should be a little scared knowing how easily a burglar can enter our houses.

There is only one bit of knowledge a burglar needs to enter your house when they use a bump key, and that would be, how many tumblers are actually in your lock. That knowledge is required to get the key to work. But, the truth of the matter is that most keys are cut from standard formats, giving the “bump key burglar” a quick and easy guess of which bump key to use on your lock.

BayAreaLocks.com recommends buying secure locking systems that combine digital and mechanical keying. But are they any safer? Will they provide you with a better sense of security? Medeco™ and Abloy™ are companies that sell secure locking systems that combine digital and mechanical keying. They show a key that appears unique. It looks special, and you know immediately from looking at it the bump key burglar tool won’t work. You may feel more secure, but now you have a key that’s warranty will end in two years. As if that isn’t bad enough, you must remember that this is hybrid technology mechanical and digital technologies combined. This places a limit on temperatures within which the technology is useable. For most people, -22° to 122 ° F would be considered normal living temperatures. For someone in Texas or Nevada or, other hot places such as Bahrain, it is possible this technology wouldn’t come close to working correctly. People who live in the Northern regions of the USA and other places in the world, would find the cold temperature margin a big issue. Even in New York State, they close schools for temperatures that go below -20° F.

The only other safety measures you could add to keep thieves out of your house would be a burglar alarm system or a rather viscous dog with a bad reputation.

So are you safe considering how easily accessible this information is for the up and coming burglar? The answer to this has to come in the form of additional questions. Do you trust your neighbors? Do you feel your neighborhood is secure? Do you believe your neighbors are looking out for you? Feeling safe at home has to be founded on these issues, not the ability to keep the burglar out of your home.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford

Hi,

It’s a simple message, but one that is too often ignored. Our society focuses a lot of attention on educating young people on the importance of not drinking and driving, but drivers of all ages are susceptible to doing it. Regardless of who you are; if you drink and drive you risk arrest, personal injury or even death, to yourself and others on the roadway.

There’s a compelling story behind every DUI/DWI-related casualty. Tasha Elliott was the principal of an elementary school. She and her husband loaded their two children into their vehicle after having too much to drink and died when they left the roadway and submerged in a pond.

As was mentioned in a previous blog post and follow-up comments by Kenneth Speegle, the Elliott crash killed a family of four. The possibility of dying probably never entered their minds that evening. As parents they wouldn’t intentionally harm their children. Yet, they’re statistics because they chose to drive after drinking.

As an educator with a life-long commitment to children Mrs. Elliott knew better than to drink and drive or to ride with an impaired driver. Nobody knows who was driving the family car, but both of the Elliott’s were exceeding the legal intoxication threshold. It proves the point that alcohol impairs judgment.

This is a teaching moment for all of us. This couple had a lapse in judgment that had horrifying consequences. It doesn’t mean they were evil people. But it drives home the importance of adhering to the wisdom of thinking ahead. The best time to decide not to drink and drive is before taking that first sip. If you haven’t worked out the details on how you’re going to get home, don’t drink at all.

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has an alcohol awareness safety campaign. It’s message, “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving”, is accurate, compelling and all too real. There is a fine line between slightly impaired and too impaired to drive. As mere mortals we lack the judgment to know the difference.

Instead of taking chances, take a stand. “Use your head” and “Plan ahead” are more than phrases. They’re common-sense statements we should all adhere to before we put ourselves into the position of having to make this sort of life and death decision. The time to decide whether or not to drink and drive isn’t when it’s time to go home.

Every decision has consequences. Don’t let a single decision or lapse in judgment forever define who you are. Don’t climb behind the wheel after drinking. Don’t let anyone else drive after drinking. Don’t ride with someone who has been drinking. If you’re hosting a party or get-together, either confiscate the keys of your guests before they drink – and have designated drivers available – or don’t serve alcohol at all.

It’s not worth the risk. The price is simply too high.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford

Hi,

When we bump our toes into a hard object on the ground, this may be the only time we remember how important our feet are. We all need to take care of our feet, and even more so when we are at work.

Personal protective footwear help protect feet against injuries that may result from falling objects, rolling objects, or accidental contact with edged tools, sharp objects, or sharp-edged sheet metal. Safety-toe shoes and boots are part of protective footwear, especially in the construction industry and many industrial settings.

Safety toes in footwear protect your toes by incorporating a steel toe box or equivalent material. In the Thorogood Men’s Commando II Deuce Safety Toe Boots, the safety toe is made of non-metallic material. It is a very important safety feature yet, the toe box adds little to the weight or cost of the shoe. The Thorogood safety toe boots are made of black leather, for durability and versatile functionality, and with nylon uppers, for lightness.

A good safety shoe should include instep guards, for arch support and also for ventilation. The Thorogood Men’s Commando II Deuce Safety Toe Boots are fitted with a removable poly-shock zone insole insert and air flow vents. This feature assures good ventilation while you’re wearing the boots. Being removable, the instep guards can be cleaned regularly. Wicking mesh lining in the shoe also adds air flow and overall comfort to the design.

These Thorogood work boots come in both men’s and women’s designs, as well as in safety toe and soft toe versions. Their worry-free design allows you to focus only on your work while the Thorogood safety toe boots take care of your feet. And for as long as the feet are comfortable, you can work longer, too! Life has no reset button, think safety!

Safe living,
Safety Issues